The term "phenoxy resin" is a generic term used to describe the amorphous, high molecular weight poly(hydroxyether) derived illustratively from reaction of diphenols and epichorohydrin or from the reaction of diphenols and diglycidyl ethers of diphenols. The resins are tough, high modulus thermoplastic materials of established commercial utility. For example, a commercial phenoxy resin marketed by Union Carbide as "UCAR".RTM. Resin is produced from epichlorohydrin and 2,2-di(4-hydroxypropane). The product of the reaction of 2,2-di(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and its corresponding diglycidyl ether is a second example of a commercial phenoxy resin. Such resins have utility in applications such as molded articles, films and packaging materials, coatings and adhesives but have not been extensively used as engineering thermoplastics because of a typically relatively low glass transition temperature.
When higher glass transition temperatures are desired in many thermoplastic polymers, it is generally beneficial to include within the polymeric structure one or more types of cyclic moiety. The reaction product of epichlorohydrin and a spirobiindol is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,102 wherein the product is said to have a high heat distortion temperature. A second type of phenoxy resin containing cyclic structures is broadly disclosed by Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,907, where the phenoxy resin contains moieties of a 1,6-diaza [4.4] spirodilactam and moieties of 2,2-di(hydroxyphenyl)propane. It would be of advantage to provide related cyclic phenoxy resin oligomers containing moieties of a 2-hydroxy-1,3-propylene alternating with other cyclic moieties.